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M10 - The Tea Party
Deep in central Sazanami, a pagoda stands amidst blooming sakura bushes and elegant trees that twist into the sky. Inside the red-tiled pagoda is a large group of Pokémon, most of whom are strangers to the Aetherian citizens, but the one ‘mon instantly recognizable is Hoori, that Wartortle who invited them here in the first place. He notices your entrance, waving you over and gesturing towards two Lumineons who are floating in twin bubbles held together by some mystical energy. They bob towards you, giving simultaneous bows before facing you with gentle smiles. Handmaiden 1 Talking by whmSeik: Hajimemashite, travelers from afar. We are Otohime-sama’s handmaidens -- Handmaiden 2 Icon by whmSeik: -- and we are pleased to act as mediators for this tea party. May Ryūjin bless this gathering. Hoori Talking by whmSeik: Yes, as the handmaidens said, hello and welcome to Minoru Sho’s teahouse! We’re all delighted to have you attend this peaceful get-together; hopefully, we will succeed in our task of making Sazanami whole again. I know that I, for one, as both Nobuhide-sama’s assistant and envoy to the Dragon Palace, am eager to see peace in my homeland, and I am sure you all feel the same. He turns, holding out a hand to a Galvantula who had been standing in the corner of the room. The electric spider jolts, scuttling to Hoori’s side with a shy duck of her head. Hoori Icon by whmSeik: Oh, and I almost forgot: this is Sara-san, the tailor from Chanyu that I mentioned before to your king. She’ll be making the outfits that you will wear for the tea party. Sara Worried by whmSeik: It’s n-nice to meet you. I will have to make sure to have all of your measurements. Perhaps we can meet beforehand… Will we have enough time for that, Hoori? Hoori Talking by whmSeik: I don’t see why not. I’m sure you’ll be able to get them done -- you’re the best tailor the Dragon Palace has ever seen! Sara Happy by whmSeik: Oh, dear, that’s too kind… but thank you. I will be sure to complete the outfits before the start of the party Sara Icon by whmSeik: In fact, I should go now, to prepare. Having six legs will not make sewing these outfits any quicker. Hoori Icon by whmSeik: Very well, thank you for stopping by! Well, we should probably explain a bit more on how this tea party will go, shouldn’t we? Handmaiden 1 Icon by whmSeik: Yes, Hoori-san, we should -- Handmaiden 2 Icon by whmSeik: -- and we would be happy to do it. Handmaiden 1 Talking by whmSeik: The goal of attending this tea ceremony is to determine which three warlords you as citizens of King Alaric’s kingdom would most like to work alongside to reunite Sazanami -- Handmaiden 2 Talking by whmSeik: -- and to do that, you will be allowed to question each warlord in attendance, either one on one or in groups, however you desire. Handmaiden 1 Icon by whmSeik: Based on their responses, you will decide through a majority vote which warlords you will align with -- Handmaiden 2 Icon by whmSeik: -- and so determining how the rest of your “mission” proceeds. Hoori Serious by whmSeik: That being said, you won’t be allowed to just ask them anything. These are powerful members of Sazanamese society you’re talking to, and as such they deserve their privacy. We have a set number of questions you can ask each person, so no deviating from them or you’ll be asked to leave the warlord’s presence. And be sure to keep the peace and don’t antagonize anyone at the party; Otohime-sama’s handmaidens will be able to sense any undue stress amongst the partygoers, and they’ll alert me about what’s going on so I can address it. The Wartortle pauses, allowing his frown to pass, then turns to the large group of Pokémon in ceremonial garb who are milling around in the background. Hoori Talking by whmSeik: Speaking of the warlords, I’d like to have them introduce themselves to you. I know you’ve heard a bit about them already, but it’s always nice to put a face to a name, right? Ichikawa-sama, why don’t you start first? Nobuhide Talking by whmSeik: I certainly can! Hello again, everyone. My name is Ichikawa Nobuhide, and I am the warlord of the Seiryu Province, on the eastern shore of Sazanami. Yagami-sama’s guild headquarters are located in my lands (as you know), and I am happy to be in attendance at this tea party… not to mention being an ally of King Alaric and his endeavors of peace. Hanako Annoyed by whmSeik: … Hello. I am Masuyo Hanako, warlord of the Nantō Province. Though, of course, most of you already know that as you’ve recently escaped from my dungeons. And surely you are also aware of my opinions on this “summons,” so just be sure to stay on my good side during the ceremony, and all will be well. Shogo Talking by whmSeik: Greetings, I am Aonuma Shogo, warlord of the Genbu Province and descendant of the great fish that moved the oceans of this great land (and I do not mean that seabird Ryūjin). My kingdom lays in the north, near the ice-covered mountains; I do not often descend from my chilly kingdom, so consider my presence at this tea party a gift for you uncultured plebeians. Shino Serious by whmSeik: ……… Hoori Icon by whmSeik: Um, sir? You need to say who you are… Shino Serious by whmSeik: ……… Omori Shino. I rule Hokutō Province. It is on side of mountain range… I will be in garden if you wish to speak further. Kaoru Icon by whmSeik: Oh, dears, don’t mind Omori-sama; he’s just a bit cranky when he’s not in his meditation gardens. But ohh, I should… introduce myself before… *yawn* I start… jabbering… Kaoru Sleep by whmSeik: Zzzzz… Nobuhide Annoyed by whmSeik: Hmm, asleep again… Kaoru-san, wake up! Kaoru Talking by whmSeik: Ahh! Ohhh, I fell asleep again, didn’t I? Apologies; I’ve been struggling to sleep lately, been so busy… *yawn* Anyway, my name is Umezawa Kaoru, and I rule the Suzaku Province in the south. I hope that this tea ceremony will bring some true peace to these lands -- come find me at the party, I’d love to chat more! Takeshi Talking by whmSeik: (bows deeply) Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am called Onoue Takeshi, lord of the Nansei Province. It is my sincere hope that this tea ceremony will succeed in its task… and that Sho-san has some new blends to sample, as his tea selection has become minimal of late... Eboshi Icon by whmSeik: Hashira Eboshi here, and the Byakko Province towards the west is where I rule. I must admit, I am not certain how drinking tea will solve our problems, but eh, whatever, we’ll try. Isas Talking by whmSeik: Brrrllelpl brrpet, brllpltsibrllprs, Blpi brapm Brilpsaps, blarlplorp bpoll brep Broprthwlperln Broplvlrlp. Bl'apm Brlpy Brlaplpy brplp blp blpre brin brep brplcelbrplds blrinplinrp bpre brlip brll brouu bruspltarrl. Everyone stares in confusion at the Electabuzz -- until a Manectric beside him clears their throat and speaks: Raiju Talking by whmSeik: Ah, please, allow me to translate, that is my job. This is Inazuma Isas, and he welcomed you and introduced himself as the warlord of the Hokusei Province. He said he was also very happy to be here in the farmlands drinking tea with all you lovely folk. Isas Serious by whmSeik: Bruspltarrl. Raiju Icon by whmSeik: Yep, lovely folk. Isas Serious by whmSeik: Bruplinr brpk… Sho Icon by whmSeik: And lastly, I am Minoru Sho, ruler of the Farming Province in central Sazanami. Those of you who came with Bon are already familiar with my territory, and frankly, I am glad that no harm has come to any of you on either of your journeys. Hopefully a relaxing stay in my tea house will mend any wounded egos that might be present. Hoori Talking by whmSeik: Thank you for that, Minoru-sama. Now, finally, I would like to formally introduce you all to the Shōgun, Katsumi. She would like to speak to all of you before returning to the palace -- and don’t forget to bow completely to the floor. He falls to his knees and then folds completely onto the floor -- as do the warlords, tailor, and handmaidens, and you quickly follow suit as a quartet of soldiers in gleaming golden armor march out of the back room of the tea house. In their midst is Katsumi, a sour-faced Infernape who stands uneasily over you, trying to keep her frown from turning into a scowl. Katsumi Serious by whmSeik: Thank you all for coming. You have done great work in my country in the past, and now that we need your assistance again, it is good to know that there is someone we can trust to come to our aid. Perhaps, after all this is over, Sazanami can become true allies of Aether… Katsumi Icon by whmSeik: But enough idle chit-chat; we'll save that for the party. Let the tea ceremony begin! ---- Further Instructions: Tea ceremonies are considered an art form in Sazanami. There are a number of steps that are taken during the ceremony, from preparing the tea bowls to serving the tea, and with Otohime’s handmaidens around to keep the peace, it should be a calm experience. However, the main party starts after the ceremony, when you will have full access to talk to the nine warlords of Sazanami. Minoru Sho’s tea house is quite large, so they will be spread out through the property. To go from room to room, you tell the admins where you want to go, and they will open up the sub-room for you to explore. The main hub is the pagoda room, where you can make your decisions on where to go next, and is also where Alaric, Nicholas, Bon, Reilly, the handmaidens, and the Shōgun’s assistant will be. Talking to them is not the goal, but you could hear some fascinating discussions if you do. Also, as an important note, two of the warlords have already made their final decisions on this conflict perfectly clear: Ichikawa Nobuhide, the Samurott general, and Minoru Sho, our gracious host. Nobuhide is on Katsumi’s side and thus will assist Aether in any way he can, and Sho… well, he just wants to drink his tea in peace, so he will forever remain neutral in all of Sazanami’s disputes. So, while talking to them is still possible, in the end, they are unavailable to be chosen at the end of this section. No, it is the other seven warlords who need to be decided upon -- and you have a couple of questions you can ask to find out whether you’d like to work with them or not. You don’t need to ask all of these questions, just the ones that give you the information you need, but these are the acceptable questions that you can ask all of the warlords, including Nobuhide and Sho: -I would like to know more about you. What can you tell me about yourself? -And what about your assistant? What do they do for you? -Tell me about your kingdom. What is your province’s role in Sazanamese society? -What is your greatest strength/weakness? -I don’t know much about the history of Sazanami: can you tell me more about the country itself? -What is the biggest problem facing Sazanami today? -Do you think Katsumi is a good Shōgun? -What would you do to help Aether defend Sazanami from enemy attack? -Which of the other warlords would you be willing to work with? And who WOULDN’T you work with? You can word these questions in whatever way makes sense for your characters, but the main idea of the question should still be there. There are also some servants on Sho’s property, stationed throughout the tea house; they hear many of the gossip spoken across Sazanami, and they’re willing to tell you what they know -- if you can find them. Only one servant is in each of the four rooms, hiding often in plain sight, and you can only ask them one question: What rumors have you heard about the warlords in this room? The answer you get from this question can then be used to trigger a new event by speaking to the warlords again. Once you’re done talking to the characters, you must pick three of the seven available warlords who you think are the most trustworthy. When you’ve decided, send a note to the group with the three you’ve chosen. Once you’ve made a choice you can’t go back on it, so pick wisely! As well, please refrain from telling others your choices, votes need to remain a secret between your character and King Alaric. This event will run on specific days this time around and for a generally set duration. Because of this, you may save your progress and return another day if you don’t have enough time to talk to everyone. Simply remember which characters you’ve spoken to already and pick up where you’ve left off. If for some reason you will be unable to attend the Tea Party at all during the times available, you may still cast your vote. A summary of the party dialogue will become available in a small journal after the event is closed; using the information provided, send in a note stating your inability to attend and tell us your selected warlords. For those who are able to attend the party and get your votes cast: one character will be randomly selected from the group to receive a pair of icons and they will appear in the journal for the next part of the mission. The dates and times the party took place was: August 4th(2pm est - 5:30pm est) August 6th (2pm est - 5:30pm est) August 7th(2pm est - 5:30pm est) August 8th(5:30pm est - 9pm est) August 9th(5:30pm est - 9pm est) August 11th(2pm est - 5:30pm est). After the 11th the rooms will no longer be available and we will use the time to tally up the votes and prepare the next part of the mission! PART 3 WAS ACTIVE UNTIL: August 14th, 2016 5:59pm EST.